Vaporetto Water Buses

Traveling by vaporetto

Riding a vaporetto, motoscafo, or
motonave in Venice isn't any more complicated than riding a subway or city
bus. (Unfortunately, it's quite a bit more expensive, as you'll see when you
read our Vaporetto Fares article.)

Here's what you need to know before traveling on a public
water bus:

1. Look for an ACTV stop.

ACTV waterbus stops are shown on most Venice maps, and you'll
often see signs pointing to vaporetto stops when you're walking around the city.
The stops are easy to recognize by their yellow-and-white floating platforms.

Note: Be sure that you're at
a stop for the line that you want to take. At larger stops, which have multiple
platforms, look for signs that indicate boat numbers and direction of travel
(e.g., No. 1 toward San Marco or Piazzale Roma).

If you plan to be in Venice for more than a few weeks
during the next five years and expect to use public transportation often, the
Venezia Unica city pass (long-term version)--which
allows you travel at cheap resident fares--may be worth the hefty upfront fee.

3. Validate your ticket.

At every ACTV stop, you'll see a white electronic ticket reader near the
entrance to the floating boat platform. Hold your ticket or pass up to the
ticket reader and listen for the "beep.

(Note:
At larger ACTV stations, you may also see green ticket readers. These are
"read-only" devices that let you check how many trips are left on your ticket.
They won't deduct a fare or validate your ticket for your current trip.)

If you don't have a ticket and there's no booth or machine at
the ACTV stop, request a ticket from the marinaio (sailor)
immediately after boarding the water bus to avoid a large fine.

Tip:Look for a boat timetable near the ticket reader.

4. Cross the walkway to the platform.

Be sure to enter the waiting area (not the exit, which is
usually marked with a red-and-white "no entry" symbol).

Note: ACTV platforms float
up and down with the tides, which means the platform and the boat are on the
same level. This makes water buses easier to board than
water taxis, especially if you're traveling with a
wheelchair, stroller, or wheeled suitcase.

5. Wait for the water bus.

When the water bus arrives, stay behind the yellow line until
disembarking passengers are off the boat and the sailor indicates that you can
board.

Note: You won't need to show
your validated ticket or pass unless an inspector asks to see it.